Oral health behaviours of children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2013

BACKGROUND: The 2013 Children's Dental Health Survey is the fifth in a series of national surveys. AIM: To describe the oral health behaviours in children and adolescents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. METHOD: A representative sample of children (aged 5, 8 12 and 15 years) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were invited to participate in dental examinations. Children and parents were also invited to complete a questionnaire about oral health behaviours. RESULTS: Overall, the majority of children and young people reported good oral health behaviours. For example, more than three quarters of the 12- and 15-year-olds reported brushing their teeth twice a day or more often. However, a sizeable proportion of the sample reported less positive behaviours. Nearly 30% of 5-year-olds first started to brush their teeth after the age of one year. Among 15-year-olds, 11% were current smokers and 37% reported that they currently drank alcohol. Sixteen percent of 12-year-olds reported to consume drinks containing sugar four or more times a day. Of particular concern was the marked differences that existed by level of deprivation. Children living in lower income households (eligible for free school meals) were less likely to brush their teeth twice a day, more likely to start brushing after six months, more likely to be a smoker and more likely to consume frequent amounts of sugary drinks. CONCLUSION: Despite some encouraging overall patterns of good oral health behaviours, a sizeable proportion of children and young people reported behaviours that may lead to poorer oral and general health. Preventive support should be delivered in clinical dental settings to encourage positive oral health behaviours. Public health strategies are also needed to reduce inequalities in oral health behaviours among children and young people

Teaching minimally invasive interventions in paediatric dentistry : a cross-sectional survey of dental schools in Iran

Background Dental caries is a significant public health problem in Iran. Teaching minimally invasive interventions in paediatric dentistry may facilitate the provision of treatment for untreated dental caries in children. We evaluated the teaching of such interventions in both undergraduate dental curriculum and Paediatric Dentistry Specialty Training Programme (PDSTP) in Iran. Methods This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. Participants in this study were the directors of 40 undergraduate programmes and 15 PDSTPs in all Iranian dental schools (response rate = 100%). Descriptive statistics were reported. Results The most commonly taught methods were preventive fissure sealant and preventive resin restoration (PRR), which were taught ‘both didactically and clinically’ in all undergraduate dental programmes. The least commonly taught methods were silver diamine fluoride (SDF), the Hall technique and resin infiltration, which were taught ‘both didactically and clinically’ in less than 5% of dental schools. The same three methods were the least commonly approaches taught in PDSTP, further, they were less often perceived to be ‘essential’. Conclusions There was a notable variation in the teaching of the management of dental caries in Iran’s dental education. Some minimally invasive approaches including SDF, the Hall technique and resin infiltration are not being commonly taught in Iranian dental schools despite the evidence base for these techniques

The impact of oral conditions on children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2013

Background: The 2013 Children's Dental Health survey is the fifth in a series of national surveys. / Aim: To summarise key findings on oral health perceptions, oral symptoms, and the impacts of oral conditions on the daily life of children and their families. / Methodology: A representative sample of children (aged 5, 8 12 and 15 years) and their parents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland completed relevant questionnaires. / Results: Oral symptoms, even more profound ones such as toothache, were prevalent among all age groups. Overall, 58% of 12- and 45% of 15-year-olds reported at least one oral impact in the past three months. The most prevalent oral impact was feeling embarrassed to smile or laugh, followed by difficulty eating. These symptoms and oral impacts were disproportionately high among children eligible for free school meals. Furthermore, one fifth to one third of parents reported that their children's oral conditions had some impact on their family life. / Conclusion: Oral symptoms were common and oral conditions had a negative impact on the quality of life of large proportions of children. There were clear and marked socioeconomic inequalities, with considerably worse oral health perceptions and higher levels of oral impacts among the more deprived children

Oral health behaviours of children and adolescence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Findings from the 2013 Child Dental Health Survey

BACKGROUND: The 2013 Children's Dental Health Survey is the fifth in a series of national surveys. AIM: To describe the oral health behaviours in children and adolescents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. METHOD: A representative sample of children (aged 5, 8 12 and 15 years) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were invited to participate in dental examinations. Children and parents were also invited to complete a questionnaire about oral health behaviours. RESULTS: Overall, the majority of children and young people reported good oral health behaviours. For example, more than three quarters of the 12- and 15-year-olds reported brushing their teeth twice a day or more often. However, a sizeable proportion of the sample reported less positive behaviours. Nearly 30% of 5-year-olds first started to brush their teeth after the age of one year. Among 15-year-olds, 11% were current smokers and 37% reported that they currently drank alcohol. Sixteen percent of 12-year-olds reported to consume drinks containing sugar four or more times a day. Of particular concern was the marked differences that existed by level of deprivation. Children living in lower income households (eligible for free school meals) were less likely to brush their teeth twice a day, more likely to start brushing after six months, more likely to be a smoker and more likely to consume frequent amounts of sugary drinks. CONCLUSION: Despite some encouraging overall patterns of good oral health behaviours, a sizeable proportion of children and young people reported behaviours that may lead to poorer oral and general health. Preventive support should be delivered in clinical dental settings to encourage positive oral health behaviours. Public health strategies are also needed to reduce inequalities in oral health behaviours among children and young people

Assessment of the quality of measures of child oral health-related quality of life

Background Several measures of oral health-related quality of life have been developed for children. The most frequently used are the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ), the Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (C-OIDP) and the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP). The aim of this study was to assess the methodological quality of the development and testing of these three measures. Methods A systematic search strategy was used to identify eligible studies published up to December 2012, using both MEDLINE and Web of Science. Titles and abstracts were read independently by two investigators and full papers retrieved where the inclusion criteria were met. Data were extracted by two teams of two investigators using a piloted protocol. The data were used to describe the development of the measures and their use against existing criteria. The methodological quality and measurement properties of the measures were assessed using standards proposed by the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) group. Results The search strategy yielded 653 papers, of which 417 were duplicates. Following analysis of the abstracts, 119 papers met the inclusion criteria. The majority of papers reported cross-sectional studies (n = 117) with three of longitudinal design. Fifteen studies which had used the original version of the measures in their original language were included in the COSMIN analysis. The most frequently used measure was the CPQ. Reliability and construct validity appear to be adequate for all three measures. Children were not fully involved in item generation which may compromise their content validity. Internal consistency was measured using classic test theory with no evidence of modern psychometric techniques being used to test unidimensionality of the measures included in the COSMIN analysis. Conclusion The three measures evaluated appear to be able to discriminate between groups. CPQ has been most widely tested and several versions are available. COHIP employed a rigorous development strategy but has been tested in fewer populations. C-OIDP is shorter and has been used successfully in epidemiological studies. Further testing using modern psychometric techniques such as item response theory is recommended. Future developments should also focus on the development of measures which can evaluate longitudinal change

Socioeconomic variation in the association between malocclusion and oral health-related quality of life

Objectives: Oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) has been linked to malocclusion. We aimed (a) to investigate the association between malocclusion and OHRQoL among children, and (b) to examine whether this association varied by socioeconomic status. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data for 4,217 children aged 12 & 15 years, who participated in the 2013 Children Dental Health Survey (CDHS); a nationally representative survey of children in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Malocclusion was determined using the modified Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). OHRQoL was measured using the Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (Child-OIDP). For socioeconomic status, we used the pupils’ eligibility for free school meals (FSM) and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Adjusted marginal effects were estimated controlling for confounding variables. Separate analyses were carried out for the two age groups. Results: Malocclusion was associated with 6% and 15% increases in the probability of reporting negative impact of OHRQoL for 12- and 15-year olds respectively, which was significant for 15-year olds (marginal effect=0.15, 95% CI=0.08-0.22). Malocclusion was associated with the prevalence of oral impacts for 12 year olds (marginal effect=0.1, 95% CI=0.02-0.17) and 15-year olds (marginal effect=0.2, 95% CI 95%=0.13-0.28) not eligible for FSM and for 15-year olds in the most (marginal effect=0.2, 95% CI=0.1-0.29) and least (marginal effect=0.26, 95% CI=0.13-0.4) deprived IMD quintiles. Conclusions: Malocclusion was associated with impacts on OHRQoL for 15-year olds. There was evidence of a relationship between SES, malocclusion and OHRQoL. Keywords: Impact, malocclusion, oral health related quality of life, orthodontics, socioeconomic status, childre

ST8 micellar/niosomal vesicular nanoformulation for delivery of naproxen in cancer cells: Physicochemical characterization and cytotoxicity evaluation

Naproxen (NPX) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used against a variety of diseases, including autoimmune disorders and chronic inflammations. However, low water solubility limits its therapeutic efficacy and novel nanoformulations are required to bypass its poor bioavailability to reach its therapeutic effect. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of the nanoformulation of biocompatible molecules; Squalene (S) and Tween 80 (T8) Micellar/Niosomal Vesicles (ST8MNV) prepared, by thin-film hydration method and their potential as a drug delivery system for NPX. The percentage of encapsulation efficiency was calculated to be 99.5 ± 0.2 for 5 of NPX weight in total ingredients of micellar/niosomal vesicles (w/w). The ST8MNV nanoformulation exhibited a slower rate of NPX release from the drug encapsulated over seven days, suggesting a stable complex of NPX. Finally, cell toxicity assay demonstrated that the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of NPX were drastically reduced by ST8MNV nanoformulation in MCF-7, A549, HeLa, and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines. Our data show this micellar/niosomal naproxen nanoformulation is a great candidate for the future in vitro and in vivo studies for potential clinical anti-inflammatory and anticancer applications. © 2020 Elsevier B.V